Actor Vijay fans to contest TN local body polls

Chennai, Sep 19 : Tamil Superstar Vijay's fans association, Vijay Makkal Manram has decided to field candidates in the upcoming local body elections to be held on October 6 and October 9 in nine districts.

Sources in the Vijay fan association told IANS that the actor has given them consent to contest the polls, but would not participate in the campaign. The flag of the association and Vijay's photos would be used extensively during the campaign.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Vijay's father and actor director, S. Chandrashekhar had floated a political party in the name of Vijay fans association and had announced contesting the elections. However, Vijay openly came out against his father's move and said that he is against contesting the elections and that he would not have anything to do with the same.

Now, after his fan's association announcing contesting the polls, there is clear indication that Vijay, the young superstar has thrown his hat in the ring.

C. Rajeev of the Centre for Policy and Development Studies, a think tank and a political observer, told IANS," Vijay's fans contesting the elections is a clear indicator that Vijay in the near future will take a call in contesting polls. With Super megastar Rajinikanth announcing that he won't enter politics, Vijay's fans making this announcement will be an interesting turn in the politics of Tamil Nadu, which has always supported actors entering politics."

Right from C.N. Annadurai, the late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to Chief Ministers -- M.G.Ramachandran, J. Jayalalithaa, and M. Karunanidhi -- all were associated with the film world. While Annadurai and Karunanidhi were powerful scriptwriters, M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa were popular actors from the state.

Superstars Kamal Haasan and Vijaykanth are already in politics after having floated their own outfits -- Makkal Needhi Maiam(MNM) and Desiya Murpoku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) -- respectively and had contested the Assembly elections. The MNM will be testing the waters of the rural local body polls and Kamal Haasan has announced that he would be extensively campaigning in the elections.